War and Peace Readalong thread 2022 - thread 2

[VikingNorthUtsire]

"The finest novel ever written on this planet"
"Here is a novel that is worth whatever time one gives to it. There is more life between its cover than in any other existent fictional narrative"

This is a really helpful blog post by someone who has done the challenge: nicksenger.com/onecatholiclife/announcing-the-2020-war-and-peace-chapter-a-day-read-along

1. Translations

The main complication seems to be which edition to choose. The blog post above contains some commentary of the different tranlsations that are available and their merits. There's also a pretty comprehensive guide here including samples from some of the best-known translations: welovetranslations.com/2021/08/31/whats-the-best-translation-of-war-and-peace-by-tolstoy/

The main differences that I can see are:

• some editions (including the free download on Project Gutenburg) have a different chapter structure. I think/hope we would manage to find one another if some are reading versions with more or fewer chapters but I have based the readalong on the versions with 361 chapters.
• there's quite a lot of French in at least some parts of the book. Some editions translate it into English, others keep it in French but use footnotes
• some translators have chosen to anglicise the characters' names. I guess its personal preference whether you prefer Mary, Andrew and Basil or a more Russian version.

Looking at the editions recommended and reviewed in the above blog:

The Vintage Classics edition, translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Vintage-Classics-Tolstoy/dp/0099512246/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

NB also this link for the kindle version: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Vintage-Classic-Russians-ebook/dp/B005CUS9AG/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

The Signet Classics edition, translated by Anne Dunnigan: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Signet-Classics-Tolstoy-ebook/dp/B001RWQVXA/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

The Penguin Classics edition, translated by Anthony Briggs: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Penguin-Popular-Classics-ebook/dp/B0033805UG/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

As a general rule I would definitely recommend downloading a sample of any kindle edition before buying, so you can be sure that you are happy with it.

Obviously, some people will prefer to avoid Amazon! Feel free to use the weeks in the run-up to Day 1 to share any tips on what you are buying and where from. Can I suggest though that we stick where possible to the editions with 361 chapters otherwise we will all get very confused!

1. Reading timeline

Nick, of the blog post, has very helpfully done the calculations for which chapters fall on which days, except he did it in 2020 which was a Leap Year. So feel free to take a look at nicksenger.com/onecatholiclife/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Nicks-2020-War-and-Peace-Chapter-a-Day-Reading-Schedule.pdf but see below the schedule for the Mumsnet Readalong.

Again, different editions name and number their chapters differently - some refer to four books divided into parts (as below), others refer to fifteen books although it's essentially the same structure just with different numbering. Hopefully there's enough info below to keep us all in sync, and always happy to let anyone know via PM what's happening in today's chapter so we can keep together.

Book 1: 1805
Book 1 Part One (25 chapters): 1/1 - 25/1
Book 1 Part Two (21 chapters): 26/1 - 15/2
Book 1 Part Three (19 chapters): 16/2 - 6/3
DAY OFF: 7/3
Book 2: 1806-1812
Book 2 Part One (16 chapters): 8/3 - 23/3
Book 2 Part Two (21 chapters): 24/3 - 13/4
Book 2 Part Three (26 chapters): 14/4 - 9/5
Book 2 Part Four (13 chapters): 10/5 - 22/5
Book 2 Part Five (22 chapters): 23/5 - 13/6
DAY OFF: 14/6
Book 3: 1812
Book Three Part One (23 chapters): 15/6 - 7/7
Book Three Part Two (39 chapters): 8/7 - 15/8
Book Three Part Three (34 chapters): 16/8 - 18/9
DAY OFF: 19/9
Book 4: 1812-13
Book Four Part One (16 chapters): 20/9 - 5/10
Book Four Part Two (19 chapters): 6/10 - 24/10
Book Four Part Three (19 chapters): 25/10 - 12/11
Book Four Part Four (20 chapters): 13/11 - 2/12
DAY OFF: 3/12
Epilogue One 1812-20 (16 chapters): 3/12 - 19/12
Epilogue Two (12 chapters): 20/12 - 31/12

Phew!

I would suggest that we meet at the end of each section (so 17 times over the course of the year) to discuss what we've read, but with (non-spoilerish) chatter welcome at any time in between. According to my guru, Nick, each chapter is around 4 pages long, so it should be do-able.

1. Chapter "meditations"

This looks like another really interesting blog post from someone who has done it, with thoughts and meditations on each chapter: brianedenton.medium.com/a-year-of-war-and-peace-cc66540d9619#.yabefbbgz

Come and join me! This time next year we will almost have finished reading the finest novel ever written on the planet.

PS Some may feel that each day off deserves a shot of vodka or two. I couldn't possibly comment.

For some reason I thought we were heading to a new volume, so before reading chapter 22 I thought I’d check!

The numerology chapter was absolutely hilarious. I just wanted to shake him and say ‘STOP!’

I don’t really recall Pierre being as open about his love - in his thoughts anyway aa he apparently is.

Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 20
• Pierre goes over to the Rostovs’ house. He keeps getting fatter and fatter and now has trouble climbing the stairs.
• He sees Natasha singing to herself, and she seems like she’s really doing a lot better.

•	They talk about how great Nikolai is.  Then Natasha tells Pierre that he is super-important to her to the -nth degree and asks his opinion about whether Andrei will ever forgive her.
•	Pierre doesn’t answer and mostly just thinks about how he loves her.
•	Petya runs into the room and asks Pierre about joining the army instead of going to college.

•	Pierre says it’s no problem, since they are trying to enlist as many people as possible.

•	The Count and Countess come to dinner. They decide to put off reading Alexander’s proclamation until after the meal and instead chitchat about random things.

•	After dinner, Sonya reads the proclamation out loud. Basically it’s a call to arms and a pep talk trying to boost morale. The Rostovs are into it.

•	Petya announces that he wants to join up. Countess Rostov freaks out, and his dad is all, um, no.

•	Meanwhile, Natasha keeps looking at Pierre, and he is going kind of nuts with the love and stuff. He goes home and on the way decides not to visit the Rostovs anymore.

I've been away a few days so have just caught up and haven't completely read the thread but this ^ is just perfect 😆

Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 20

• Pierre goes over to the Rostovs’ house. He keeps getting fatter and fatter and now has trouble climbing the stairs.
• He sees Natasha singing to herself, and she seems like she’s really doing a lot better.
• They talk about how great Nikolai is. Then Natasha tells Pierre that he is super-important to her to the -nth degree and asks his opinion about whether Andrei will ever forgive her.
• Pierre doesn’t answer and mostly just thinks about how he loves her.
• Petya runs into the room and asks Pierre about joining the army instead of going to college.
• Pierre says it’s no problem, since they are trying to enlist as many people as possible.
• The Count and Countess come to dinner. They decide to put off reading Alexander’s proclamation until after the meal and instead chitchat about random things.
• After dinner, Sonya reads the proclamation out loud. Basically it’s a call to arms and a pep talk trying to boost morale. The Rostovs are into it.
• Petya announces that he wants to join up. Countess Rostov freaks out, and his dad is all, um, no.
• Meanwhile, Natasha keeps looking at Pierre, and he is going kind of nuts with the love and stuff. He goes home and on the way decides not to visit the Rostovs anymore.

I like that we're getting to know the youngest Count Rostov.. I mean, he's a little up his own bottom but I thought it was sweet how he was fixing his collars and thought he'd be able to 'have a word' at a public parade.

They grow up so fast 😅 Actually, I think Petya is far too young to enlist in the army. He is very immature. He's just a young lad looking for adventure and excitement.

That was a good chapter. A lively read.

Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 21

•	Petya runs off to his room and cries himself to sleep.
•	The next morning Emperor Alexander comes to Moscow, and huge throngs of people get ready to go look at him.
•	Petya spends a long time getting dolled up. He has a fantasy of going up to one of Alexander’s ministers and volunteering to serve. In his daydream, they are all super-impressed with his youth (he’s 15), and he imagines all the patriotic things he would say to the tsar.

•	But in real life, the closer he gets to the Kremlin, the more crowded it gets. 
•	OK, time for a little history and architecture lesson. The Kremlin was a walled castle in the middle of Moscow that was built for Russian tsars to live in.  More recently it was where the communist government was headquartered. It’s still the government building now – basically it’s Russia’s White House.
•	Everyone is pushing and shoving, Petya is sweating, and slowly he realizes that his fantasy isn’t really going to happen.
•	Finally, they see Alexander. Everyone loses it and starts screaming and cheering.
•	Petya is elbowed in the ribs and passes out. When he comes to, some church official is protecting him from the crowd. Petya climbs up on a nearby cannon and watches from a slight height.
•	After this glorious day, Petya comes back home and announces that if his parents don’t let him join the army, he is going to run away from home and do it himself. The next day his dad goes off to see if he can get his son an army post somewhere that’s not too dangerous.

Wednesday 6th July

Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 22

•	Okay, fast forward 3 days now. A whole bunch of carriages are hanging out in front of the Slobodsky Palace.
•	The Slobodsky Palace was, well, a palace where all the members of the nobility would have their little meetings.
•	In one room, a bunch of nobles are hanging out, and in another, a bunch of merchants. There's not really a whole lot happening.

•	Pierre is there, dressed in his nobleman's uniform (which doesn't quite fit right). The whole assembly reminds him of the French Revolution and Rousseau's Social Contract.
•	The sovereign's manifesto is read, everybody gets excited about it for a few minutes, and then they go back to loitering and talking.
•	A guy in an old navy officer's uniform starts talking, and people gather around to listen. Pierre and Count Ilya Andreich (who's also there) both go and listen.
•	The man is talking about the best way to gather an army (voluntary militias or a draft), another noble tries to change the conversation, and then Pierre decides to speak.
•	He tries to be cool and switch between French and Russian, but he's kind of awkward about it and the group starts to disperse.
•	Andreich is pleased, but Pierre's old pal Stepan Stepanovich Apraksin isn't. He begins shouting at Pierre.
•	Another guy that Pierre recognizes also chimes in, and says that there really isn't any time to be debating things. The enemy is fast approaching.
•	Eventually, the "debate" turns into a mess, and Pierre doesn't get to respond.
•	It's not that what Pierre is saying is wrong, the narrator tells us; it's just that in matters like these the crowd always wants a good guy and a bad guy, and the crowd has decided that Pierre is the bad guy.

• Eventually, many of the nobles approach the table where the old dignitaries are sitting.

•	The orators take their turns speaking, with people shouting to add their two cents as Pierre watches.

We are nearly at the end of this section!
The next section will be a lot longer, thirty-nine chapters.

I thought Pierre was going to burst with excitement there. I was rather afraid that he was going to talk numerology nonsense and speak without thinking.

It's a pity he was shouted down. It seems to me that he had a valid point. The social contract presumably means asking questions, having discussions and not to just follow blindly. However, even in the highest military circle, they can't reach consensus. It always descends into chaos and they are meant to be the experts. Also, at this point on time it's an emergency and it's time for action, so there's no time for sitting around. All hands on deck. Even Petya has been signed up. The Countess won't like that!

It was chaotic wasn’t it, read it a few days ago and now a bit vague but I thought it was interesting how the scene mirrored the chaos and the role of chance on the battlefield.

Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 23
• Suddenly, Count Rastopchin shows up wearing a general's uniform. The crowd of nobles makes room for him.
• It's the general's uniform. It's gotta be.
• Rastopchin tells everybody that the sovereign emperor will arrive shortly.
• He reminds the assembled group that their job is to assemble a militia and fight for their country.
• 

• The nobles huddle in groups and eventually decide that the citizens of Moscow will donate 10 men to the fight for every 1000. Fully equipped men, that is.
• The emperor himself then shows up. Pierre observes from a distance but can't quite make out what the emperor says.
• He does hear him say that the country is in danger and that he has placed high hopes in its nobility.
• Today, they have exceeded his expectations.
• Ilya Andreich, who is behind Pierre, is sobbing as a result of the emperor's speech.
• The emperor leaves and goes into the other hall, where the merchants are.
• About 10 minutes later, he comes out with two merchants, and they're weeping too.
• Apparently, the emperor started crying right after he started speaking to the merchants.
• The emperor's presence has pretty much changed everybody's opinion.
• Pierre is willing to sacrifice everything, Bezukhov has told Count Rastopchin that he is donating 1000 men, Rostov has decided to sign up, and on and on.
• 

• Once the emperor is gone and the nobles have gone back to their lives, they are all astonished at how much they have committed to the emperor.

It felt like this volume was very much about the machinations of war - the behind the scenes view of how a war works. It was maybe a little dry but there were some really enjoyable splashes of colour, especially from the Rostovs - Natasha's newly discovered piety, Petya's lust for action, Nikokays unintentional bravery. Cracking!!

I wonder if anyone could engender the type of patriotic pride these days that the Tsar seems to create in even the most grumpy of men. He seems to cast a spell - which seems quite auspicious seeing the news on our own Government today. I'm pretty sure Boris cast a similar spell as my God, he's still loved by many despite the sheer avalanche of shite that's come out over the last 6 months. Similar as well in that it's the 'nobles' and 'priveleged' who have decided the plebs course... interesting times, eh!

Despite the humour in many of the scenes I found this section a bit of a struggle after the high of the last one. Was glad to have the military sections broken up by Andrew and Natasha. I’m rooting for Natasha and for Pierre, would love to see them get together somehow and Andrew be tormented with jealousy. Not a fan of Petya, swanning off to see the Emperor and shoving the old lady in the crowd. Wasn’t sure what to make of the characterisation of Napoleon, how far was it satirical, you’d say he had delusions of grandeur if it wasn’t for the fact he’s actually Napoleon.

Yes, I agree. The last section was riveting. This one was less interesting in comparison. I liked the crowd scene welcoming the Tsar. Very colourful. That's a good point about the quality of charisma in a leader, SanFran.

I'm glad that there was still some character development as too much emphasis on military action can weigh down the story. We basically want to know what they are all going to do next! Natasha knows that Pierre likes her, so that's interesting. We'll see what happens there, although nothing can happen because of La Belle Hélène.

I've just opened the page on Part Two and Tolstoy is already slagging Napoleon! ('His petulant outbursts')!

Gradesavers analysis of the last section:

Analysis
This section’s portrayal of Napoleon and Tsar Alexander dovetails with the points Tolstoy makes in Chapter 1 about the historical importance (or lack thereof) of great men. For all the pomp surrounding the two emperors, we very rarely see them making decisions or thinking things over in the level of detail that Tolstoy uses for Pierre or the Rostovs. Instead, the emperors are most often seen from afar. Their importance lies not in the individual decisions they make, but in the deep emotion they inspire in their people. In other words, it is the promise of men and money that fuel the war, not the tsar himself.
Tolstoy seems to be ambivalent about whether the overwhelming patriotism that Tsar Alexander inspires is a good thing. On the one hand, it moves the nobility to transcend their self-interest and be generous with their resources – but in addition to money, these resources also include the lives of their peasants. It rouses an endearing, if childish, passion in young Pyotr Rostov, but this passion could very well lead to his death. In fact, we have seen how a similar passion in Pyotor's brother Nikolai leads to disgust and shame, as has happened before and then is repeated more strongly in this section when the latter is disgusted by nearly killing a man up close.
There is also a motif of people being crushed in the frenzy surrounding the tsar. The crowd tramples Pyotr when he tries to volunteer for military service directly to the tsar; an old woman falls down while trying to catch a biscuit the tsar has thrown; in the hysteria following Pierre’s liberal speech, a nobleman cries out: “Gentlemen, you’re crushing me!” (680) This series of images may be a veiled critique of the indirect harm that blind patriotism can have on the common man.
Forgiveness and selfless love are the dominant forces in this section. Now that the characters have experienced life’s hardships, they are more driven by self-sacrifice than they were at the beginning of the novel. The most obvious example of this is Pierre Bezukhov, who does his best to love Natasha from afar and support her when she is ill after her suicide attempt. However, Princess Marya also urges her brother to forgive their father for his unpleasantness in old age, even though one of the primary complaints against the old man is his cruelty towards her. Even Natasha Rostovv_, affected by her recent disgrace, prays for her enemies in church (although she has to invent them – a detail that foreshadows how society will forgive Natasha for her indiscretions, since Tolstoy does not count the rumormongers as real enemies).
Between the apocalyptic prophecies, Natasha’s illness, Pyotr’s naïve enthusiasm for the military, and the violent scene in which Napoleon crosses the Niemen, this section is darker than many of the book’s earlier chapters. Tolstoy juxtaposes these events to create an ominous mood that foreshadows the massive bloodshed that will occur once the war gets into full swing. Tolstoy portrays Pierre’s Masonic prophecies with great skepticism, but the interlude in Chapter 1 suggests that he does believe in some level of predestination – the course of history is fixed and individual people are powerless to change or control it. This worldview helps explain the author’s heavy reliance on foreshadowing in this section and throughout the novel.
For any analysis of War and Peacece^_ as a whole, Chapter 1 of this section is central. It follows directly on the image of the comet, which, as discussed previously, indicates the way that individuals work in interplay with the most cosmic of events. As such, this chapter echoes the same theme as that of the comet. What follows the history chapter - the way that war disgusts Nikolai even in the midst of his great heroism; the way that the nobility are shaken to support a war that will lead to Moscow's destruction; and the way Pierre rages desperately to be of another world - are all in line with what the book has been about thus far, but in light of the section's first chapter, we are meant to begin reflecting on this idea of fate. Tolstoy does not mean to suggest that the Greek Fates are spinning our wheels, but rather that our world made of disparate spinning parts - people and gods and institutions and armies - are all in constant interplay so that what will come must come because of who and what we are.
Finally, this theme is stressed even further when we consider the dramatic irony that would exist for any Russian reader. No educated person of Tolstoy's day would not have known that Napoleon's invasion of Russia and the horrors that ensued were soon to be documented in the work. So as events build, though they might be dramatic for a reader unaware of history, Tolstoy intended for his reader to notice how events large and small are all conspiring to produce an event that would scar and define Russia for a long time.

Volume 3, Part 2, Chapter 1

1812
• Now for another long bit about how history way oversimplified the random chaos of millions of people doing stuff into a few details about the powerful people. We’re sensing a theme here, people.
• What really started the war, then? Sure there were historical, cultural, economic, and other important forces at work...but also:

•	1. Napoleon was feeling all flattered and awesome in Dresden, and then had to back up his big talk.
•	2. Alexander was feeling dissed by his country-ruling homies and had to get back the respect of his peeps.
•	And how come Napoleon lost the war?
•	Well, of course, hindsight is 20/20, so looking back on it we can see that hiking deep into Russia in the middle of the coldest winter ever without enough food was pretty asinine on the part of the French.
•	But at the time no one really thought about it. Napoleon was gunning for Moscow, thinking that if he sacked the capital, Russia would cry uncle.
•	Meanwhile, the Russians weren’t in any way actually trying to lure the French farther and farther into the country.
•	And there’s certainly no way that anyone at all could have predicted that the Russian civilians would get so nationalistic and gung-ho that they would actually burn all their land, food, houses, and belongings rather than leave it for the French.
•	But that’s what ended up happening, and the French were stuck up crap creek with no food and shelter in the middle of an extra-freezing Russian winter.
•	But only in retrospect can we pretend like anyone actually meant for any of this to happen or planned anything to come out this way. It was just dumb luck, is what Tolstoy is saying.

•	Anyway, the whole Russian-army-retreat-into-Russia happens because the army is split between two generals who cannot stand each other. They just do maneuver after maneuver to avoid each other. There’s Barclay, who is German and unpopular, and there’s Bagration, who doesn’t want to be under Barclay.
•	When they finally reconnect, in Smolensk, they have to stop retreating and fight the French. It goes badly. Just after the Russian army loses, Smolensk is abandoned by the Smolenskians, who not only flee but also set fire to the whole city behind them. Oh yeah, French dudes? You want this city so bad? Well, here it is. Oh, and by the way, it’s engulfed in flames, so you might want to bring some extinguishers.

I'm just following along and nodding to everyone's points. I liked Desdemona's habit of posting the longer Gradesaver analysis for each section once we come to the end, so here is the analysis for this part (yes, I'm impersonating Desdemona, ha!).

*
This section’s portrayal of Napoleon and Tsar Alexander dovetails with the points Tolstoy makes in Chapter 1 about the historical importance (or lack thereof) of great men. For all the pomp surrounding the two emperors, we very rarely see them making decisions or thinking things over in the level of detail that Tolstoy uses for Pierre or the Rostovs. Instead, the emperors are most often seen from afar. Their importance lies not in the individual decisions they make, but in the deep emotion they inspire in their people. In other words, it is the promise of men and money that fuel the war, not the tsar himself.

Tolstoy seems to be ambivalent about whether the overwhelming patriotism that Tsar Alexander inspires is a good thing. On the one hand, it moves the nobility to transcend their self-interest and be generous with their resources – but in addition to money, these resources also include the lives of their peasants. It rouses an endearing, if childish, passion in young Pyotr Rostov, but this passion could very well lead to his death. In fact, we have seen how a similar passion in Pyotor's brother Nikolai leads to disgust and shame, as has happened before and then is repeated more strongly in this section when the latter is disgusted by nearly killing a man up close.

There is also a motif of people being crushed in the frenzy surrounding the tsar. The crowd tramples Pyotr when he tries to volunteer for military service directly to the tsar; an old woman falls down while trying to catch a biscuit the tsar has thrown; in the hysteria following Pierre’s liberal speech, a nobleman cries out: “Gentlemen, you’re crushing me!” (680) This series of images may be a veiled critique of the indirect harm that blind patriotism can have on the common man.
Forgiveness and selfless love are the dominant forces in this section. Now that the characters have experienced life’s hardships, they are more driven by self-sacrifice than they were at the beginning of the novel. The most obvious example of this is Pierre Bezukhov, who does his best to love Natasha from afar and support her when she is ill after her suicide attempt. However, Princess Marya also urges her brother to forgive their father for his unpleasantness in old age, even though one of the primary complaints against the old man is his cruelty towards her. Even Natasha Rostov, affected by her recent disgrace, prays for her enemies in church (although she has to invent them – a detail that foreshadows how society will forgive Natasha for her indiscretions, since Tolstoy does not count the rumormongers as real enemies).

Between the apocalyptic prophecies, Natasha’s illness, Pyotr’s naïve enthusiasm for the military, and the violent scene in which Napoleon crosses the Niemen, this section is darker than many of the book’s earlier chapters. Tolstoy juxtaposes these events to create an ominous mood that foreshadows the massive bloodshed that will occur once the war gets into full swing. Tolstoy portrays Pierre’s Masonic prophecies with great skepticism, but the interlude in Chapter 1 suggests that he does believe in some level of predestination – the course of history is fixed and individual people are powerless to change or control it. This worldview helps explain the author’s heavy reliance on foreshadowing in this section and throughout the novel.

For any analysis of War and Peace as a whole, Chapter 1 of this section is central. It follows directly on the image of the comet, which, as discussed previously, indicates the way that individuals work in interplay with the most cosmic of events. As such, this chapter echoes the same theme as that of the comet. What follows the history chapter - the way that war disgusts Nikolai even in the midst of his great heroism; the way that the nobility are shaken to support a war that will lead to Moscow's destruction; and the way Pierre rages desperately to be of another world - are all in line with what the book has been about thus far, but in light of the section's first chapter, we are meant to begin reflecting on this idea of fate. Tolstoy does not mean to suggest that the Greek Fates are spinning our wheels, but rather that our world made of disparate spinning parts - people and gods and institutions and armies - are all in constant interplay so that what will come must come because of who and what we are.
Finally, this theme is stressed even further when we consider the dramatic irony that would exist for any Russian reader. No educated person of Tolstoy's day would not have known that Napoleon's invasion of Russia and the horrors that ensued were soon to be documented in the work. So as events build, though they might be dramatic for a reader unaware of history, Tolstoy intended for his reader to notice how events large and small are all conspiring to produce an event that would scar and define Russia for a long time.

Oh yikes thank you and sorry I was impatient Desdemona! Sorry about the duplicate post!

Part of the problem is that MN is so slow to load for me now, a long span of time elapses whenever I try to refresh the page. Grr.

Not to worry, Cassandre - it was quite a dense part so not going to hurt to have it analysed twice 😉

I loved this bit from the Schmoop summary:
Alexander was feeling dissed by his country-ruling homies and had to get back the respect of his peeps.
It sounds like me, when I try and connect with my DC!

I quite enjoyed this chapter though although massive spoiler alerts - although I'm guessing for Tolstoy's audience it was all still quite fresh and theu absolutely knew the outcome. I did have to smile when Bagration, trying to be the bigger man, offers to report into Barclay and then bitches and grumbles about it.. I'm not sure I understand his reasoning there and it clearly didn't work out great for the Russians!

It feels like we are at the heart of the book now. I've read on a bit into this section and it's full of action, very exciting. It's like a jigsaw falling into place. We're sensing a theme here, people (Schmoop).

The Gradesaver summary is very good. I liked your summation in yesterday's post too SanFran. The double post from Cassandre and Desdamona 😅well, it's a lot to take in, so no harm in reading it twice!

I'm Very flattered to be 'impersonated' cassandre 😂

Volume 3, Part 2, Chapter 2
• Ugh, the Bolkonskys again.
• After he chases off Andrei, Prince Bolkonsky yells at Marya for making him do it. Why? Because he’s a crazy abusive dad, that’s why.
• Life at depressing manor goes back to normal, except Prince Bolkonsky stops having anything to do with Mlle. Bourienne, so we’re guessing something Andrei said to him actually sank in.
• Marya is stressing about the war, but she doesn’t really get the politics of it. Mostly she just wants her brother to be OK.
• Her main contact to the outside world, Julie (who is now Princess Drubetskoy, because remember, she married Boris), writes her these long, patriotic letters. We get to see one of them, and it’s hilarious. She and her friends have decided not to speak French any more, but none of them actually speak Russian all that well, so her writing is full of mistakes and weird phrasing. (Anyone remember when French fries were renamed freedom fries? This is kind of like that.)
• Andrei writes home and asks his dad’s forgiveness, which he immediately gets.
• Then he writes again and gives them a sketch of the campaign from his point of view. He also points out to Prince Bolkonsky that their estate lies right in the path of the French army, so they need to leave ASAP.
• That night Prince Bolkonsky starts talking about the letter, and it’s clear that he’s now really starting to lose his mind. Andrei says the army is getting closer and closer, but his dad insists that actually the war is still in Poland. Then he makes up a battle in which the French were crushed. Everyone is way worried, but no one knows what to do.
• That night Prince Bolkonsky starts fussing over his will. Meanwhile, he sends his estate manager, Alpatych, to the city of Smolensk.

It's worrying times for the people of Bald Hill! The old Prince isn't well enough to be in charge of the household at this time when they need to make a quick exit plan!

Volume 3, Part 2, Chapter 3
• Prince Bolkonsky is going over the papers he’s gotten ready for his death.

•	He calls in Alpatych and gives him a long list of the supplies he’s supposed to pick up in Smolensk and also a letter for the governor there. Two hours later (no, seriously, it’s apparently the world’s longest shopping list), Alpatych leaves and Prince Bolkonsky decides to go to bed.

• Now we get a weird little insight into some of the Prince's mental issues. He’s been sleeping in a different place every night because he just can’t get comfortable. Every time he lies down and closes his eyes, he gets dizzy.

•	Suddenly, after lying down, he remembers that he’s supposed to do something. Oh, apparently he wanted to reread Andrei’s letter in bed.

•	Finally, this time reading it, it sinks in that the French are four days away and that everyone needs to get the heck out of Dodge already.

•	But instead of doing anything, he starts remembering himself as a young man, getting hot and heavy with Empress Catherine the Great, who had a thing for young handsome soldiers

I think this is quite a moving depiction of dementia and how the old Prince has moments of lucidity followed by complete brain fog, getting buried in the past. It's strange to read in such an old book given that there is still so much misunderstanding around cognitive decline, but I'd say Tolstoy gives a pretty accurate description here. I wonder if he had any personal experience?

I just hope they get away before they are overrun.

I agree @SanFranBear
And it that vulnerability combined with the fact that he's so controlling and tyrannical that makes him so memorable.
I got stuck in the battle scenes at the start of this book and fell behind for ages, now caught up with the main cavalcade